Literary Landmarks™ by Year

2014 Dedications

Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center, Huntington Station, N.Y. Poet and journalist Walt Whitman (1819-1892) taught at Long Island schools, and founded a weekly newspaper in Huntington that continues to this day. Memories of this house and of Long Island had a major influence on his writing. Partners: Suffolk County Library Association, Suffolk School Library Media Association, Lambda Literary Foundation, Empire State Center for the Book. Dedicated Sept. 5, 2014.

Alex Haley Museum & Interpretive Center, Henning, Tenn. The boyhood home of Alex Haley (1921-1992) was built by his grandfather, William E. Palmer, in 1919. It served as a seat of inspiration for Haley's Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Partners: Tennessee Historical Commission, Alex Haley Museum & Interpretive Center Staff and Board. Dedicated Aug. 9, 2014.

Jon Hassler Library, Central Lakes College, Brainerd, Minn. Jon Hassler (1933-2008) launched his writing career while teaching English and humanities at Brainerd Community College (now Central Lakes College). Hassler was a novelist who captured small town life as it took place in Minnesota towns such as Staggerford and Rookery. Partners: Minnesota Association of Library Friends, Central Lakes College Foundation, Friends of the Brainerd Public Library. Dedicated May 17, 2014.

Yorkville Community School, New York, N.Y. Bernard Waber (1921-2013) used East 88th Street as a setting for his Lyle the Crocodile picture books, starting with The House on East 88th Street (1962). Lyle lives in a brownstone on East 88th Street with the Primm family, whose children attend a school much like Yorkville Community School. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, The Children's Book Council, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Yorkville Community School PTA. Dedicated May 14, 2014.

Lake Oswego Public Library, Lake Oswego, Ore. William Stafford (1914-1993), who lived in Lake Oswego for 46 years, was poet laureate of Oregon 1975-79 and poetry consultant to Library of Congress 1970-71. Stafford received the National Book Award for his poetry collection Traveling Through the Dark (1963). All but one of his more than 60 books was written in Oregon. He was an ardent supporter of the Lake Oswego Public Library, and he dedicated the present library in 1983. Partner: Friends of Lake Oswego Public Library. Dedicated Feb. 25, 2014.

2013 Dedications

Richards Free Library, Newport, N.H. The Sarah Josepha Hale Memorial Park, on the grounds of Richards Free Library, honors Newport native Hale (1788-1879), a prominent 19th century editor who promoted the education of women and their important role in society. As editor of “Godey’s Lady Book,” she nurtured the careers of Catherine Beecher, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Her many contributions to American culture include a successful campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Partner: Richards Free Library Board of Trustees. Dedicated Nov. 23, 2013.

Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library, Oxford, Miss. Larry Brown, award-winning author of Joe and Big Bad Love, was a frequent patron and strong supporter of the library, establishing the Larry Brown Writers Series that brought a number of authors to the library for public readings and writing workshops. Born in Lafayette County, Brown gave the keynote address at the re-opening of the library after renovations in 1997. Partner: Friends of the Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library. Dedicated Nov. 11, 2013.

Boyhood home of Sinclair Lewis, Sauk Centre, Minn. Harry Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) spent his formative years in this home. He was an American novelist, short story writer, and playwright who became the first writer from the United States to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His works are known for their insightful and critical views of American society and capitalist values, as well as for their strong characterizations of working women. Partners: Minnesota Association of Library Friends, Sinclair Lewis Foundation. Dedicated July 16, 2013.

Windmill at Stony Brook, Southampton, N.Y.In the summer of 1957, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) lived in the windmill at Stony Brook and wrote an experimental play, The Day on Which a Man Dies, responding the to death of his friend, abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock. Partners: The MFA Programs at Stony Brook Southampton, Empire State Center for the Book. Dedicated July 13, 2013.

Beluthahatchee, Fruit Cove, Fla. Author and award-winning journalist and activist Stetson Kennedy (1916-2011) created Lake Beluthahatchee and its surrounding wildlife sanctuary. It was there Kennedy wrote portions or complete manuscripts of his books and articles. Partner: Florida Center for the Book.

Stroud Public Library, Stroud, Okla. Born near Stroud, Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel (1918-2007) felt wrenched from her home in 1936 when her family migrated to California, where she became known as the Okie poet. Anthologized in American working-class literature, her poetry reveals an appreciation for everyday people and her deep love for Oklahoma, friends, and family. She sent some of her books and papers to Stroud Public LIbrary for preservation. Partner: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma. Dedicated April 28, 2013.

Emily J. Pointer Public Library, Como, Miss. Como-born Stark Young (1881-1963) was a drama critic, novelist, playwright, and poet. So Red the Rose, his best-known work, was adapted to film in 1935. Partners: Friends of Emily J. Pointer Public Library, Town of Como. Dedicated March 28, 2013.

Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center, Corona, N.Y. The library was the first public institution to be named for (James) Langston Hughes, African American poet, journalist, essayist, playwright, novelist, and social activist. Partners: New York State Education Department, New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Queens Council on the Arts, Queens Borough President's Office. Dedicated Feb. 23, 2013.

Syd Hoff home, Miami Beach, Fla. Cartoonist and children's book author Syd Hoff (1912-2004) lived at this home from 1957 to 2001. Hoff published more than 500 cartoons in The New Yorker, and is the author of many HarperCollins I CAN READ books, including Danny the Dinosaur and Sammy the Seal. Partner: Florida Center for the Book. Dedicated Feb. 10, 2013.

2012 Dedications

Diocesan House, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York, N.Y. Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007), Newbery Award-winning author of A Wrinkle in Time, served the as cathedral librarian and participated in the cathedral's spiritual life for more than 40 years. Partners: Empire State Center for the Book, The Children's Book Council, Farrar Straus Giroux/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. Dedicated Nov. 29, 2012.

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, Cleveland Ohio. Best known for his American Splendor series, Harvey Pekar (1939-2010) spent countless days at Heights Libraries, working on stories that celebrated his hometown and the common man. Pekar's efforts raisied the comic book to a recognized genre. Partners: Heights Libraries, Friends of the Heights Libraries. Dedicated Oct. 14, 2012.

Elihu Burritt Library, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain Conn. Elihu Burritt (1810-1879), a New Britain native noted for being a self-taught linguist who studied while he worked at the forge, was an ardent abolitionist, an internationally renowned peace activist, and a prolific writer. He was appointed consul to Birmingham, England, by President Lincoln. Many of Burritt's original works are found in this library. Dedicated Oct. 11, 2012. Partners: The Skinner, Cargill, and Bradley families, descendants of Elihu Burritt.

Room 222, Strater Hotel, Durango, Colo. Louis L'Amour (1908-1988) is renowned for his Western fiction. He wrote many novels and short stories in room 222 of the Strater Hotel, inspired by the strains of the honky tonk piano rising from the Diamond Belle Saloon below. Along with many other visits, for more than 10 years L'Amour, and often his family, spent the month of August in the hotel. Dedicated Aug. 25, 2012. Partners: Friends of the Durango Public Library, Rod and Laurie Barker, the Strater Hotel.

Hackley Public Library, Muskegon, Mich. Children's book author and storyteller Verna Aardema Vugteveen (1911-2000) used the Hackley Public Library to research folk tales from various cultures, which she rewrote as children's stories. She credited Hackley librarians for their invaluable help with her research. An elementary school teacher for more than 25 years, she was known as Muskegon's "Story Lady." Vugteveen is the author of Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, which won the Caldecott Medal in 1976. Dedicated June 12, 2012. Partner: Friends of the Hackley Public Library.

2011 Dedications

Beauregard-Keyes House, New Orleans, La. Author Frances Parkinson Keyes made the house at 1113 Chartres St. her winter residence from 1945 until her death in 1970 at the age of 85. Of her 51 books, The Chess Players and Madame Castel's Lodger are set at the house and tell of its construction and early habitation. It was at the house that she wrote Dinner at Antoine's, her best known work. Dedicated June 27, 2011. Partner: Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.

Tahlequah Public Library, Talequah, Okla. Woodrow Wilson Rawls (1913-1984) was the author of two children’s books: Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys. Rawls’ early childhood was spent on his mother’s Cherokee allotment 13 miles northeast of Tahlequah, along the Illinois River in Cherokee County. Rawls visited the Carnegie Library in Tahlequah when he was young. He wrote, “The day I discovered libraries was one of the biggest days of my life. Practically all of my spare time was spent there. I read everything I could get my hands on pertaining to creative writing. I didn’t just read those books, I practically memorized them.” Dedicated April 30, 2011. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, Tahlequah Friends of the Library, and the Cherokee Heritage Center of Tahlequah.

Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, Texas. John Howard Griffin lived on a farm in Mansfield during the time he conducted the social experiment chronicled in his book author of Black Like Me. He darkened his skin in the fall of 1959 and lived as a black man for seven weeks while traveling through Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. Black Like Me has been translated into 14 languages and has sold more than 10 million copies. Dedicated Feb. 27, 2011. Partners: Friends of the Mansfield Public Library.

2010 Dedications

Marguerite deAngeli Branch Library, Lapeer, Mich. Marguerite deAngeli, an author and illustrator of children's books, was a Lapeer native. In 1950, she was awarded the Newbery Medal for The Door in the Wall. The main branch of the Lapeer City Library, which has an extensive collection of her materials, was renamed in her honor on Aug. 22, 1981. Dedicated Aug. 22, 2010. Patners: Lapeer District Library, Michigan Center for the Book.

Boyhood Home of Stanley Kunitz , Worcester, Mass. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Poet Laureate of the United States Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006) lived at this house at 4 Woodford St. from 1919-1925. Greg and Carol Stockmal, who purchased the house in 1979, maintained a 20-year relationship with Kunitz, who dedicated his poem "My Mother's Pears" to the Stockmals. Dedicated June 19, 2010. Partners: Worcester Public Library Board of Directors, Worcester County Poetry Association, Friends of Stanley Kunitz.

Betsy's House , Mankato, Minn. The childhood home of Maud Hart Lovelace was dedicated along with the childhood home of her best friend, Frances "Bick" Kenney. Lovelace's series of Betsy-Tacy books was based on her and Bick's adventures growing up in Mankato. Dedicated May 20, 2010. Partner: Betsy-Tacy Society.

Tacy's House , Mankato, Minn. The childhood home of Frances "Bick" Kenney was dedicated along with the childhood home of her best friend, Maud Hart Lovelace. Lovelace's series of Betsy-Tacy books was based on her and Bick's adventures growing up in Mankato. Dedicated May 20, 2010. Partner: Betsy-Tacy Society.

Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum , Hannibal, Mo. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum includes six properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places (including his boyhood home, which was built in the 1840s and opened to the public in 1912), and two interactive museums. Twain lived in Hannibal from age 4 to 17. The experiences that Samuel Clemens took from Hannibal became part of American culture through his writings as Mark Twain. Dedicated April 24, 2010. Partners: Missouri Humanities Council, ReadMOre Missouri, Hannibal Free Public Library.

Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum , Key West, FL. Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote here from 1931-1939. The Literary Landmark dedication was on the occasion of Key West's "One Island, One Book" event, when the citizens of Key West celelbrated Hemingway's novel To Have and Have Not. Dedicated March 14, 2010. Partners: Monroe County Public Library of Key West, FL; Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum; Friends of The Monroe County Public Library of Key West, Florida, Inc.

2009 Dedications

Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building , Austin, TX. Noted Texas authors, including James Michener, Walter Prescott Webb, and Jack "Jaxon" Jackson used the state archives for research and inspiration. Former U.S. and Texas First Lady Laura Bush spoke at the building's dedication. Dedicated Dec. 3, 2009. Partners: Friends of Libraries & Archives in Texas and Texas Center for the Book.

Osage Tribal Museum , Pawhuska, OK. John Joseph Mathews worked to preserve the culture and history of his Osage tribute through his writing. His authored four nonfiction books and one fiction book in his lifetime, including Wah'Kon-Tah: The Osage and the White Man's Road (1932), which was the first university press book selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club, and sold 50,000 copies. Dedicated Nov. 17, 2009. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma and Osage Nation.

Jones Library , Amherst, MA. The Jones Library originally dedicated its Frost Room in 1959, with Robert Frost and Charles Green, founding director of the Jones Library, in attendance. Green started what is now one of the richest Frost collections in the world. Fifty years later, the Jones Library was dedicated a Literary Landmark in honor of Robert Frost. Dedicated Oct. 24, 2009. Partners: Friends of the Jones Library System and the Trustees of the Jones Library.

Eudora Welty Library , Jackson, MS. The Eudora Welty Library, part of the Jackson/Hinds Library System, was recognized as part of the Eudora Welty Centennial Celebration. Eudora Welty had a major role in Mississippi's library heritage, suppported public libraries, and was a lifelong resident of Jackson. Dedicated June 22, 2009. Partners: Friends of Mississippi Libraries, the Jackson Friends of the Library, and the Mississippi Library Commission.

Wethersfield Wethersfield, CT, was the setting for Elizabeth George Speare's Newbery Award-winning book The Witch of Blackbird Pond. The novel tells the story of Kit Tyler, who is forced to leave her Caribbean home for the Connecticut colony in 1687, and is accused by the townspeople of being a witch. Speare lived in Wethersfield when she wrote the novel in 1958. Partner: Wethersfield Public Library. Dedicated March 26, 2009.

2008 Dedications

Idlewild Public Library Idlewild is the Black Eden of 20th Century African-American history. It was the vacation destination for such writers as Charles Chestnutt, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and W. E. B. DuBois. At Idlewild, writers and entertainers created a separate place for African-American culture and thought to blossom in one of the few locations where African-American were welcome to vacation and releax. Partners: Idlewild Public Library, Library of Michigan, and the Michigan Center for the Book. Dedicated August 16, 2008.

American Philosophical Society Library Home of the Col. Richard Gimbel Collection of Thomas Paine Papers An important 18th century radical republican theorist and political writer, Thomas Paine was a leading figure in the American Revolution. Despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal education, his reasoned and persuasive writings not only influenced nascent American republican ideology, but profoundly affected the perception of government in England and France as well. His three most influential works are Common Sense (1776), The Rights of Man (1791-1792), and The Age of Reason (1794, 1795, 1807). Dedicated January 14, 2008.

Mother Colony House The Mother Colony House is the oldest frame building in Anaheim. It was here that Henryke Sienkiewicz resided with Madame Helena Modejeska in 1876. He is one of the most popular Polish writers and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his outstanding merits as an epic writer. He is best known as the author of Quo Vadis. While in Anaheim he wrote Lity z podrozy (“Letters form a Journey”) and was inspired to write two short stories about Orange County: “A Comedy of Errors” and “Orso: An American Hercules” (set in Anaheim). Dedicated June 29, 2008.

2007 Dedications

Kate Chopin House Novelist and short story writer Kate Chopin (1850-1904) lived in this house located at 4232 McPherson Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, in the autumn of 1903. It was in this house that she wrote her last poem, "To the Friend of my Youth: To Kitty," and her last story, "The Impossible Miss Meadows." It was also in this house that she died of a cerebral hemorrhage on August 22, 1904. The house is the only existing St. Louis building associated with her life and work. Dedicated April 22, 2007. Partners: Friends of the Kirkwood Public Library and the Kate Chopin Society of North America (headquartered in the Kirkwood Public Library).

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site preserves the last residence of Frederick Douglass (1818 -1895), one of the most prominent African-American leaders of the 19th century. A fiery orator, dedicated editor, bestselling author, and presidential advisor, Douglass crusaded for human rights as an abolitionist, a strong advocate for women's suffrage, and a voice for social justice. From 1877 until his death in 1895, Douglass lived at the estate he called Cedar Hill, located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Daily tours of the Douglass Home are offered and a visitor center provides an orientation film, exhibits, and a bookstore. Dedicated June 24, 2007. Partners: National Park Service, Gilder Lehrman Center, and the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association.

Will Rogers Museum Will Rogers wrote to entertain, to enlighten, and to educate. His words were stilled far too soon. The site on which the museum now resides was purchased by Will and Betty Rogers to build their Oklahoma home. It is on a bluff overlooking Claremore. The museum was built as a gift of the people of Oklahoma in memory of their native son. Dedicated October 26, 2007. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma (FOLIO) and the Cherokee Nation.

2006 Dedications

Des Moines Public Library Forrest Spaulding, Director of the Des Moines Public Library from 1917-1919 and again from 1927-1952, wrote the Library Bill of Rights adopted by the Des Moines Public Library Board November 21, 1938 and adopted by the America Library Association June 18, 1948. Dedicated April 22, 2006. Partners: Des Moines Public Library.

Handy Writers' ColonyFrom Here to Eternity author James Jones co-founded the Handy Writers' Colony (1949-1964) at the west edge of Marshall with his mentor Lowney Turner Handy and her husband, Harry. Jones wrote Some Came Running here before moving to New York and later to Paris and writing other books. Several other Colony writers completed and published novels during those years. The house Jones built at the edge of the Colony ground in 1953 still stands. Marshall, IL. Dedicated May 18, 2006. Partners: Marshall Friends of the Library, James Jones Literary Society, Clark County Historical Society, and Marshall Main Street Program.

Curwood Castle The writing studio of James Oliver Curwood in honor of his many books, stories, magazine articles, films, and his work with conservation. Dedicated June 1, 2006. Partners: Michigan Center for the Book, Friends of the Shiawassee District Library Owosso.

Tennessee Williams House Tennessee Williams owned this 19th-century townhouse from 1962 until his death in 1983. Here he worked on his autobiography, Memoirs, in which he wrote, “I hope to die in my sleep… in this beautiful big brass bed in my New Orleans apartment, the bed that is associated with so much love…” He always considered New Orleans his spiritual home. New Orleans, Louisianna. Dedicated June 2006. Partners: Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.

Charles C. Wise, Jr. Library, West Virginia University The writings and personal papers of Louise McNeill, poet laureate of West Virginia from 1977 to 1993, are housed in the West Virginia and Regional History Center. McNeill is beloved for her depiction of West Virginia's life and lore in Paradox Hill, the historical Gauley Mountain and Elderberry Flood, and the autobiographical Milkweed Ladies. Dedicated October 2006. Partners: West Virginia University Libraries

Sequoyah's Cabin This historic log cabin, built by Sequoyah's own hands, was the home of Sequoyah, the Cherokee genius who developed the syllabary that brought literacy to his people. Dedicated October 6, 2006. Parterns: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, FOLIO

University of North Alabama T.S. Stribling (1881-1965), was a graduate of State Normal College at Florence (1903) and Pulitzer Prize winner (1933) for The Store. Stribling writings, research materials, and memorabilia are located in the Collier Library Archives and Special Collections at the University of North Alabama. Dedicated November 16, 2006. Partners: University of North Alabama

2005 Dedications

Boston Public Garden Here is where Robert McCloskey set his 1942 Caldecott Medal book, Make Way for Ducklings. The classic children’s book characters Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their brood resided in the garden pond. While here they discovered the wonders of Boston and the kindness of the city’s residents. Boston, MA. Dedicated January 16, 2005. Plaque to be installed May 8, 2005. Partners: Citywide Friends of the Boston Public Library, Books for Kids Foundation, and Historic Neighborhoods Foundation.

The William Johnson House in Natchez, Mississippi. William Johnson (1809-1851) was a free African American Businessman and Diarist. His diary, covering the period from 1835-1851 and published in 1951, contains an extensive description of everyday pre-Civil War life; it is a valuable contribution to the literature of the antebellum South. Natchez, Mississippi. Dedicated February 26, 2005. Partners: United States Park Service, Friends of the Judge George W. Armstrong Library, and Friends of Mississippi Libraries.

891 Post Street in San Francisco. Home of Dashiell Hammett and Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett (1896-1961) lived in this building from 1926 until 1929 when he wrote his first three novels: Red Harvest (1929), The Dain Curse (1929), and The Maltese Falcon (1930). Sam Spade’s apartment in The Maltese Falcon is modeled on Hammett’s, which was on the northwest corner of the fourth floor. San Francisco, California. Dedicated March 19, 2005. Partners: The San Francisco Chronicle. More information about the apartment and its restoration.

Evergreen Cemetery in St. Augustine. Burial site of Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886). The Caldecott Medal, commissioned in 1938, was named in honor of English illustrator, artist, and sculptor Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, American Library Association, to the artist of the “most distinguished” American picture book for children published during the preceding year. St. Augustine, Florida. Dedicated March 20, 2005. Partners: Friends of the Library of St. Johns County, Inc. and Randolph Caldecott Society of America.

Bland Cemetery, Jordan’s Point, Prince George County, Virginia The burial site of revolutionary patriot and pamphleteer Richard Bland (1710-1776) who, as political pamphleteer, constitutional historian, scholar, attorney, and public servant championed public rights and represented Virginia in the First and Second Continental Congresses and in all five of Virginia’s Revolutionary Conventions. Prince George County, Virginia. Dedicated October 23, 2005. Partners: Friends of Richard Bland College Library at Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary.

William Carlos Williams Home Lifelong home of William Carlos Williams, writer, physician, friend, and neighbor. Rutherford, New Jersey. Dedicated September 17, 2005. Partners: Rutherford Free Public Library.

Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was the only American woman to win both the Pulitzer Prize (1932 for her book The Good Earth) and the Nobel Prize for Literature (1938). This world-renowned author has written over 100 books and hundreds of short stories and magazine articles. Her books have been translated into 69 foreign languages. Hillsboro, West Virginia. Dedicated June 25, 2005.

McAlester, Oklahoma The birthplace on October 25, 1914 of John Berryman, poet and biographer, honored with the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and Bollingen Prize. McAlester, Oklahoma. Dedicated October 21, 2005. Partners: Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, FOLIO.

Dorothy Parker Birthplace Site of the summer cottage of Dorothy Parker, short story writer, critic, and poet, member of the Algonquin Round Table, champion for social justice. Born in West End, New Jersey, August 22, 1893. West End, New Jersey. Dedicated August 22, 2005. Partners: The Dorothy Parker Society and Long Branch Historical Association.

Union Stockyard Gate This site commemorates the centennial of the novel The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. The book exposed the unsanitary conditions of the meatpacking industry and is said to have influenced President Theodore Roosevelt in passing the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The novel chronicles Jurgis Rudkus, a Lithuanian immigrant, in his quest for the American Dream in the filthy Chicago stockyards. Chicago, Illinois. Dedicated June 23, 2005. Partners: Illinois Center for the Book, the Lithuanian American Council, the Food and Drug Administration, Union Food and Commercial Workers, and the Weidman Family.

84 South Street,Medford, Mass. Family home of poet, author, editor, and translator John Ciardi (1916-1986). Dedicated October 29, 2005. Partners: The Friends of the Medford Public Library.

2004 Dedications

Casa Genotta, the Eugene O’Neill house, where O’Neill lived with his wife from 1931 to 1936 during which time he completed two plays, Ah Wilderness! and Days Without End. Sea Island, GA. Dedicated February 27, 2004. Partners: St. Simons Island Public Library

Marshall, Oklahoma home of Angie Debo (1890-1988), daughter of sodbusters, courageous scholar, first lady of Oklahoma history. This town served as the subject of Prairie City, Debo’s literary gift to her family and community. Marshall, OK. Dedicated April 17, 2004. Partners: Oklahoma State University Library and Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, FOLIO

Matilda Moseley Home Site of the home of the childhood best friend of Zora Neale Hurston who, throughout her writings, celebrates the rich culture of Eatonville as representative of rural, southern African-descended folks. Eatonville, FL. Dedicated June 28, 2004. Partners: Black Caucus of the American Library Association

The Tennessee Williams Visitors Center Author, playwright, and poet Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams (1911-1983), was born in Columbus, Mississippi. In tribute to his life and writings, this site, formerly the rectory of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, was dedicated a Literary Landmark. Columbus, MS. Dedicated September 10, 2004. Partners: The Friends of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library and the Tennessee Williams Tribute Committee

The Langhorne House In tribute to the lives and accomplishments of Irene Langhorne Gibson (1873-1956, “The Gibson Girl”) and Nancy Langhorne Astor (1879-1964, “Lady Astor”), and their families, this site was dedicated a Literary Landmark. Danville, VA. Dedicated September 18, 2004. Partners: Friends of the Danville Public Library and the Langhorne House Foundation

481 Laurel Avenue Birthplace on September 24, 1896 of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is internationally renowned for such works as The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night, and This Side of Paradise. Saint Paul, MN. Dedicated September 24, 2004. Partners: The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library

Theodore Roethke House Birthplace, childhood home, and lifelong inspiration for this Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, esteemed teacher, and mentor. Saginaw, MI. Dedicated September 29, 2004. Partners: Michigan Center for the Book and the Library of Michigan

Oklahoma State University Library The home of the literary papers of Angie Debo (1890-1988), daughter of sodbusters, noted author, courgeous scholar, champion for justice, passionate advocate for Native American rights, and first lady of Oklahoma history. Stillwater, OK. Dedicated October 1, 2004. Partners: Oklahoma State University Library and Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma, FOLIO

Rome/Floyd County Library Ann Cornelisen, author of Torregreca: Life, Death, and Miracles and other works ardently and generously supported this library as a Friend of the Library and a benefactor from 1969 to 2003. Rome, GA. Dedicated November 12, 2004. Partners: The Friends of the Library and Sara Hightower Regional Library

2003 Dedications

The Library Company of Philadelphia America's first subscription library started by Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia, PA

Beluthahatchee, where Woody Guthrie wrote the final draft of his autobiographical Seeds of Man and the ballad "Beluthahatchee Bill", Fruit Cove, FL

Central Children's Room, Donnell Library Center, New York Public Library Home since 1987 of the original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed bear and four of his companions -- Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, and Kanga, New York City, NY

Nevada State Library & Archives, the site Robert Laxalt considered his second home while growing up in Carson City, NV

Territorial Community of Claremore, birthplace of playwright and poet Lynn Riggs and the setting of Riggs' Green Grow the Lilacs, the play that became the Broadway musical Oklahoma, Claremore, OK

St. George's Episcopal Church Rectory, where the writings of Tennessee Williams were influenced by the people, land, and spirit of Mississippi's Delta, Clarksdale, MS

Bay St. Louis -- Hancock County Library, where Stephen E. Ambrose researched Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who built the Transcontinental Railroad, 1863-1869 and other titles, Bay St. Louis, MS